RAQUEL WELCH, who was the reigning sex symbol of the '60s and '70s for her roles in '100 Rifles,' 'One Million Years B.C.' and 'Fathom,' is playing into type in "Welcome to the Captain," a new comedy from CBS, premiering Monday, Feb. 4, at 8:30 p.m. Welch has taken on the role of Charlene Van Ark, a femme fatale with seductive style.

"It would be too late for me to say no," the actress says when asked if she minds still playing sexy roles. "I haven't done anything like this in quite a long time. I think it is a chance for me to have fun with my image."

Welch says that part of the appeal of Charlene is that not only can she can see herself in the character, but she feels that people will believe her in the role because of her previous career as a "glamour puss."

"What I feel is vulnerable about her is she has these certain expectations of life -- and reality never occurs to her. It doesn't seem to her that her expectation of restarting her career, of having young lovers and things like that, is unrealistic. That is kind of nice in a way. She doesn't get it. She is living in a fantasy world and that is her way of protecting herself from the cruel realities of the real world."

"Welcome to the Captain" is a comedy about a group of quirky characters who all inhabit a fabled Hollywood apartment building, El Captain, and how their lives become entwined. The idea is loosely based on real-life experiences of executive producer/creator JOHN HAMBURG, who lived in a similar building when he moved from New York to Hollywood years ago.

While Welch's co-star JEFFREY TAMBOR says he also resided in a similar apartment building at one point in his life, such wasn't the case for Welch.

"When I came out to Hollywood, I had the added joy of having two small children with me and the nicer buildings wouldn't even take anybody with children," she recalls. "Later when I was doing 'Myra Breckenridge,' I did happen on that very same street, [Vine which turns into Rossmore in Hollywood]. I did have the privilege of visiting MAE WEST for tea at the Ravenswood apartments, a very lavish and old apartment building, which I was told she owned and lived in the penthouse suite. That was my one memorable experience with an apartment building like that."